Alternate
by Running For Anothers Dream
Summary: For each person, there are many worlds and many lives. Different ways that things could turn out. That history could mold itself. Here? We get a glimpse into those different worlds.
1. Circus

_"And now, ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you, the fastest hog in the world!" _

The loud speaker cracks and snaps, on the verge of going out and never making another sound. They need to replace it, need to replace a lot of things, but the money isn't there and neither are the crowds. A

ll the same, Sonic grins as he walks out onto the center stage. What few people are in the audiance clap - and his eyes are drawn to an odd looking creature, all red fur and dreadlocks, a small rabbit tucked close to his side. The rabbit's clapping. The other thing isn't.

_I'll change that soon_, thinks Sonic, suddenly bolting up the rickity old post that leads to the high wire.


	2. Hospital

"Here," says Amy, shoving the tray of food into Sonic's hands. "Go take this to Room 273. Stay until he eats all of it, and then come back here. I'll have something useful for you to do by then."

The hedgehog doesn't bother argueing, knows better than that, especially when he didn't have a choice in volunteering at this stupid hospital. At least the nurse only had him delivering food, rather than, he didn't know, cleaning bed pans or something.

It didn't take him very long to find the room that he was supposed to go too, and when he did, Sonic didn't bother knocking. Just flung the door open and stepped inside. "Alright! Grub time!"

A moment of silence. Then one sharp eye locked onto Sonic. Red dread locks hung over the other eye, but Sonic could make out the stark white of bandages beneath them. "Sonic? What the Hell are you doing here?"


	3. Bar

A/N: This one isn't as good as the others. Sorry!

* * *

"I'm going to talk to him," says Sonic, suddenly. The conversation of the others falls short, their gazes turning to the hedgehog.

Amy blinks, tilts her head to the side. "To...Tails?"

"No! To _him_! That guy, who works the bar." Sonic stands up, doesn't wait for any of the others to say anything before he is crossing the floor; leaving behind the quiet atmosphere of the tables and instead flinging himself into the bar.

Music pounds in his ears, the bass loud and heavy. Sonic slides up to the bar, grins at the echidna who stands behind it. "Hey there. I-"

The echidna frowns at him. Turns away. "If you aren't ordering something, go back to your table."

"W-what? Who says I'm not ordering something?" sputters Sonic - because he hadn't been planning on it, but that wasn't really the point. The point was that he was supposed to at least get the chance to say something!


	4. Amnesia - Knuckles

"Do I know you?" Asks knuckles, narrowing his eyes at the hedgehog.

Sonic manages to pull himself up and look offended, arms over his chest and giving a loud huff. "Of course you know me! I'm Sonic!"

Claws tear at the mist that lays heavy over Knuckles mind, trying to pull it away. Small rips try to be yanked into larger tears. An image tries to come through - one of himself, and of Sonic, sitting together at a table. A restaurant. Somewhere nice.

His brows furrow, fingers curling into the harsh fabric of the hospital sheets. Knuckles words are slow, deliberate, trying not to increase the pounding in his skull. "Are we...friends?"

"I'll say," answers Sonic, and though he snorts and frowns, Knuckles can't help but think he looks a little sad. "You mean you really don't remember?"

Knuckles shakes his head, then winces. One hand comes up and curls into his bangs and he peers between his fingers at Sonic. "If I did, do you think I'd be wasting my time playing twenty questions?"


	5. Mechanic and Racer

A/N: I kind of like this AU. Should I do more on it?

I'd love to read some reviews!

* * *

"Knuckles?" Cream pokes her head around the corner of the door, offering the echidna a slight smile. "We have one of our regulars here. The transmissions going up in his car, and he really wants you to be the one to look at it."

Knuckles gives a heavy sigh, but sits his wrench down on the nearest shelf and puts the hood down on his own car. "Who is it?"

The young rabbit shuffles back and forth for a moment. Gives a low hum and then shakes her head, vanishing behind the door again.

Which, really, is all the answer that Knuckles needs.

The echidna sighs again and follows Cream out the door, into the front lobby of their small garage. Just like he'd been expecting, Sonic is leaning against the counter, lips parting into a wide grin as soon as their eyes meet. "There you are! Listen, I need this thing running for me by tonight. I've got this big time ra-"

"No one cares what sort of a race you're entering," snaps Knuckles, moving to lean against the counter beside Sonic. "Especially not Cream."

There is a moment where Sonic looks almost apologetic, gaze seeking out the petit rabbit on the other side of the room. That grin is back all too quickly though, and he motions out towards the front lot. "Okay, yeah. I'll tell you about it later, after I win. You should probably start working on that transmission first thing, anyway."

"I didn't say I was available today," says Knuckles, voice dry. He doesn't have anything else scheduled, had been working on his own personal car a moment ago, but Sonic doesn't need to know that. "Why don't you just take it somewhere else?"

"What? No way! I'm the best driver on the track," snaps Sonic, pushing off of the counter. "I need the best working car to match! And that means I need the best mechanic to get her working! So just cancel whatever else you have going and book me in!"


	6. Hunter and the Werehog

The moon was full. Bright. Clear and unshrouded by clouds.

Knuckles tightened the grip on his rifle, shouldered his way through the dense brush and under a low hanging branch. It was hard to see much of anything out here, where the trees were growing so close together that it was hard to walk in spots.

Hard to see anything, but easy to hear.

Footsteps. Fast ones, uncaring of the twigs that they snapped. One, two, three, four - a pause, and then they started again. Closer, now. Faster, now.

And then a blue form was bursting out of the brush and Knuckles was swinging up his gun, the barrel stopping to rest just inches away from the creatures temple. "Don't move."

Wide eyes. Yellow eyes. Human eyes. The werehog gave a low growl, fangs bared.

It was a conflicting sight, because most of these beasts didn't have that glint. Like they knew what was happening, like they could understand more than just _hungryfoodchasekill_.

"Who are you?" demanded Knuckles, not expecting an answer because they never spoke, were always too far gone.

Imagine his surprise when the werehog's lips parted again, and he growled out a single word. "Sonic."


	7. Wrong Number

A/N: I imagine there being about twelve different calls between the first one featured here and the last one, but for the sake of keeping these things short I've only put in a few.

* * *

_"Hello?"_

"...Amy?"

_"...no. You must have the wrong number._"

"I sure hope this is the wrong number! She'd have to have one Hell of a cold to sound like you."

_"I'm sure. Have a good evening."_

"Hey - wait! Can I get you name?"

_"...no."_

**Click.**

-x-x-x-

_"Hello?"_

"Oh wow! I must have hit the wrong buttons again. Funny that, you never misdial the same number more than once."

_"..."_

"Listen, since I've got you again -"

**Click.**

-x-x-x-

"_This is the wrong number, again."_

"Yeah, I know. You have a cool sounding voice though, you know? Like you'd be a fun sort of guy to talk with."

_"..."_

"Anyway, my name's Sonic."

**Click.**

-x-x-x-

"I'm busy, make it quick."

"_...it's Knuckles."_


	8. Mechanic and Racer 2

A/N: A special shout-out to SuperSonicBoom12, the first person to review this story!

And another look into the mechanic/racer AU!

* * *

"Isn't it dangerous to go so fast?" questions Cream, shifting closer to Knuckles. She wraps her arms around one of his, rests her face against his shoulder.

Knuckles doesn't answer right away, busy trying to locate the bright blue sports car that belongs to his...most frequent client. "It can be. I told you that you shouldn't come."

Cream gives a low hum, but doesn't say anything else. Even if she had spoken, her words would have been drowned out by the roar of engines as the cars rush past their section of the bleachers.

Sonic is two cars away from being in the lead. One car. In the very front. It isn't a surprise, because there are very, very few races that the hedgehog doesn't win.

The smoke suddenly billowing from beneath the engine is a surprise, though.

The screech of tires loud enough to make Knuckles stomach twist.

The crunch of metal has him shooting from his seat - and Cream is jumping up too, Sonic's name on her tongue and drowned out by the sudden sound of the crowd. Applause. Shouts. Whistles.

The race isn't stopping. The car door isn't opening.

Knuckles takes the stairs two at a time - and was it the transmission? Was it something that he had missed?

More importantly, where were the fucking medics?


End file.
